So today I finally put together one of the last few mental grey areas of my truck. The area on the top and sides of the firewall. First of all, that's all connected! I had no idea. The area with those vent slits between the windshield and the hood, is one continuous space, and drops down inside the fenders about 18" on each side, like a big handlebar moustache. More importantly though, that chamber is also where the passenger and driver's side floor vents draw air in from. And most importantly, the bottom ends of that passage in my truck were FILLED with mouse nests, and just stuff that's fallen into those vent slits over the years. I've known that there was junk in there since I've had the truck, but until I realized that the vents connected to the boxes connected to the slits on the hood, I didn't think there was any way to get it out, but there is!

Today, I popped off the driver's side floor vent (which is very easy after removing the E brake pedal) and cleaned the box on the driver's side. The reason I'm posting though, is I don't know how to get into the passenger side one. There is a vent there, but it is a completely different style. Is there any way at all? I would reeeeally like to avoid cutting the bottom out, to prevent it from rusting out.

 

The passenger's footwell vent is removed from inside. It has a flange and is secured by six or so 3/8-inch screws (big).

Mine was letting water in. I removed it and epoxied a piece of plexiglass to act as a dam. Air can still be drawn in but water cannot make its way in unless it can defy gravity.

 

Hm, OK. My truck is a little complicated in that area. It has some type of aftermarket A/C unit or something under there, that I've never been brave or bored enough to mess with. It is long non functional, the compressor was gone many engines ago, but it sort of clogs up the whole under dash area, and I can't figure out how to get it down.... Was there a common under dash A/C unit on the aftermarket in the 80's or 90's?

 

Oy.. I was afraid you were gonna say you had AC. Sorry man, I have no 'sperience on AC-equipped rigs. Dunno about the 80s or 90s either.

 

Haha, nah it's fine, nothing to worry about. Hopefully someone else will see this. It's a very weird AC though, it's not a stock AC cab, but I have a center climate control vent, with an AC **** on it. Maybe an AC dashboard? But then there are 2 compressor hoses coming through the firewall....

 

Are you refering to the cowl? If so, there are rubber grommets that can be removed to clean it out.

 

I'm not even sure. What does the cowl do, look like, and where is it?

 

The cowl is the slitted thing you were talking about, yes it will fill up over time with leaves and crap. If you look above the front cab mounts, there is a big grommet that you can remove to clean the cowl out. Also, open the doors and there is a drain opening there. I used a compressor with a long hose over the end of a blow gun to fit down in the slits of the cowl and blow all that crap out. Do a search here on cowl clean out, I recall a good thread with pix.

 

Make Sure you ware safety glasses when You do this. After I cleaned mine out I went down to the local Pub to cool off and the Bar Maid said "Wow you don't even look like a white guy now"

I think this was the link https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...om-debris.html

 

When you get it all cleaned the dry stuff. Cover the vent holes with a towel and run water through the top cowl. I also run water from the inside out. You'd be surprised how much more crap and smelly stuff comes out. Mine were fully of Pine needles and
Mouse turds.

 

And I believe this is where the "fresh air" comes from in the normal mode of a/c or vent.